One of the most weird things that happened in Mississippi took place during the most devastating war in the country’s history. As the Civil War divided the nation, one Mississippi resident found the courage to challenge the powerful; his name was Newton Knight.

When Mississippi seceded from the Union in January of 1861, the state issued a Declaration of Secession, which stated, "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery..." However, Newton Knight and other Jones County residents did not agree with this statement and for good reason. At the time, slaves made up only 12% of the county’s total population – the smallest percentage of any county in the state.

Even though he didn’t agree with the war, Knight reluctantly enlisted in the Confederate Army in the fall of 1861. This choice was partially due to the fact that those who openly defied the Confederacy were labeled as traitors or cowards.

After hearing that the Confederate Army seized his family’s horses, Knight went AWOL, so he could return home and check on his loved ones. Once he arrived, Knight was shocked by what he saw. Farms were run down, which meant there were no crops to feed the local women and children. Additionally, due to a "tax-in-kind" system, the Confederate army was allowed to take whatever they wanted from area residents, leaving many without bare necessities. In May of 1863, Knight was ordered to fight in the Battle of Vicksburg. Since he refused, he was arrested and allegedly tortured.

Following the fall of Vicksburg, a number of Confederate soldiers deserted their posts and returned home to Jones County. Several months later, Confederate Major Amos McLemore was sent to round up the deserters. On October 5, 1863, McLemore was shot and killed in the Ellisville home of Amos Deason. It is widely accepted that Knight pulled the trigger.

Following this act, the Jones county farmer formed the Knight Company, waging his own war on the Confederacy. Knight and his company of about 125 men evaded capture by the Confederate Army by utilizing guerilla war tactics and by receiving help from locals, both white and black. In particular, a slave woman named Rachel helped supply the local heroes with food and information.

In 1864, the Natchez Courier reported that the Knight Company sent Union General Sherman a "Declaration of Independence." Although there is no official documentation, a lot has been written about whether the "Free State of Jones" actually seceded or not, and has even prompted the making of a major motion picture.

Did you know about Newton Knight, the Knight Company, and the Free State of Jones? What other weird things that happened in Mississippi would you like to learn about?

If you'd like to steep yourself in the history of Newton Knight and the Free State of Jones, we recommend this Mississippi VRBO stay. It's a cozy farmhouse just a few miles away from Knight's birthplace of Leaf River.